Baldwin

After over a century manufacturing and marketing pianos and other keyboard instruments, Baldwin next attempted to capitalize on the
growth of pop music. After an unsuccessful bid to buy Fender, the company bought Burns of London in 1965 for $380,000, and began
selling the guitars through the their piano retail outlets. Unused to marketing guitars, the Baldwin stores failed to interest
many guitar buyers, and sales proved lacklustre. In 1967, Baldwin also bought Gretsch guitars, which had its own experienced
guitar sales force and a distribution network of authorized retail outlets. However, Fender and Gibson continued to dominate,
and sales did not reach expected levels. The Gretsch guitar operation was sold back to the Gretsch family in 1989.